Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 2.djvu/80

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animals that we mean by thofe names. He mentions alio an- other fort of American deer, an animal called a Macarib, a Caribo, or a Pohana ; but this feems a mere fiction ; no fuch animal exUting in nature. MORBUS-Comttialis, the epilepfy, one of the moft: terrible difeafes to which human nature is fubject. The fymptoms of this diforder vary greatly in different per- fons ; fometimes it feizes them fuddenly, and unexpectedly ; at others, it is preceded in every paroxyfm by a train of concomitant fymptoms, fuch as a general laffitude and weari- nefs of the whole body, a pain in the head, great perturba- tion of the fpirits, and an unufual dread and terror ; fome- times alfo a ringing in the ears gives notice of its approach, or an inflation of the prsecordia or palpitation of the heart and difficulty of breathing. It is common alfo to feel a cold air as it were afcending from the extremities up to the heart and brain ; fometimes the joints feel cold, and often rumblings are felt in the abdomen, and fetid ftools are difcharged. In the fit, the thumbs are ufually faff clenched to the hands, the eyes diftorted, fo that only the white of them is feen, the patient is wholly fenfelefs, and a froth burfts out of the mouth with a furt of hilling noife j the tongue is often lacerated by the teeth, and the joints ufually feel a violent fuccufiiun. But fometimes violent fpafms feize all the limbs, inftead of thefe fuccufiions or tremblings ; and they remain forcibly bent, fo as to make the patient relemble a ftatue of wood. In infants the penis is erected ; in more grown perfons the femen is of- ten ejected, and the urine difcharged to great diitances. And thefe fymptoms, fometimes fooner, fometimes later, gra- dually go off.

The paroxyfms, according to the diveriity of caufes, are longer or fhorter, and fewer or more frequent ; but they ge- nerally return at ftated periods, as on certain days, hours, or months, or on the changes of the moon, efpccially at the new and full moon.

Women are ufually feized with thefe paroxyfms at the time of the return of the menfes ; and what is moft obfervable is that they are frequently occafioned by feemingly flight caufes, commotions of the mind, a colder leafon than ordinary, the ufe of flrong liquors, clofe application of the mind to any thing, and finally, the ufe of venery, often bring on thefe fits. Infancy and youth are the times of life moil fubject to this diforder ; and it more frequently attacks perfons of a nice and delicate conftitution, than thofe of a robuft and hardy make. The caufe of this terrible diforder appears to be a ftricture of ' that membrane whicb furrounds the brain and the fpinal mar- row. The caufes are very various, and thence alfo the difeafe varies in its fpecies and appearance. The moft terrible and mortal epilepfies have been brought on by external violence, by blows, wounds, fractures, and depreffions of the cranium. Thefe are generally preceded by pains of the head, and a tor- por of the fenfes ; and in thefe, after the patient's death, cor- rupted blood or ferum is always found either between the dura and fia mater., or between the dura mater and cranium. Chronical epilepfies, returning at ftated periods, are alfo fre- quently occafioned by certain acute bony protuberances arifing internally in the bafis of the cranium, and fometimes in the lateral finus. It is eafy to fee that this fpecies of epilepfy is incurable j yet medicine can do great fervicc in it, by keeping the brain in fuch a condition, that its prefiure on thefe protu- berances may not be enough to produce a violent fit. Polypofe concretions in the jugular veins, and obftructions of the finufes of the dura mater-, are alfo caufes of incurable epi- lepfies. The paffions of the mind alfo, as anger, fear, and the like, contribute greatly to bring on epilepfies, as they act immediately upon the nervous parts, and either conftringe or dilate them preternaturally, which cannot be done very often without inducing a bad habit. Infants are often rendered epi- leptic either from fucking the milk of a nurfe in a violent fit of paffion, or from the violent commotions of mind the mo- ther was fubject. to while pregnant. The terror of the fight of one perfon in an epileptic fit, lias frequently thrown another into the fame diforder ; and it has been often known, that a flrong propenfity to venery, from a natural redundancy of femen, being fuppreffed by chaftity, has brought on this dif- eafe. Women have fallen into it from violent love alfo, and have, in that cafe, found their cure in marriage. In the cure of an epilepfy, the firft intention muff: be to cor- rect and expel from the body the remote material caufes of the diforder; fecondly, to mitigate the fpafms of the dura mater and nervous parts by medicines of a fedative and corroborating nature ; the former, to check and allay the violent motion of the fluids, the other to reftore the due" tone and natural elafti- city to the parts, theweaknefb of which, occafioned by a for- mer fit, gives frequent occaiions for fucceedingones. Of the firft kind are poppy-feeds or flowers, faftron, nutmeg, and the like ; and among the chemical medicines, thefpiritus nhrl in epileptic cafes, rofbmary, rue, lavender, cardamom feeds, aJid aumergreafc. Spirit of hartfhuru, and the oil ofhartfhorn. made pure by frequent rectifications, is alfo greatly beneficial The decoctions of the woods, as guaiacum, faflafras, and the like, are alio good remedies: And fevcral epilepfies have been knuwn to be perfectly cured, by taking hall a pint of a flrong
 * dulds y when ti u)y prepared. Of the corroborative;, to be given

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decoction of" guaiacum twice a day, with a few drops of fpt- rit of vitriol in each dofe, and making all the while a weaker decoction ferve for the common drink- It is neceffary, how- ever, if there be a redundance of blood, to begin the cure with frequent bleedings. Cupping on the parts near the head is alfo of great fcrvice, and fometimes the opening the jugular vein is necefiary^ by which alone patients have fumeomes been cured.

But tho' thefe are the methods of cure, in fome cafes, yet in others, where the difeafe has had a different origin, very dif- ferent means are required. When an epilepfy arifes from an impure ferum, lodged in the veflels and membranes of the head ; which too often happens from the hidden drying up of old ulcers, flopping of ifiues, or the like means ; then the intention of cure confifts in the difcuffion, evacuation, and derivation of the ferum to other parts. For this purpofe ca- thartics are to be exhibited, and fetons. Ifiues and blifters are of fingular fervice. Nature has been known to cure epi- lepfies of this kind, by an eruption of pimples all over the body. And there is recorded in Willis a memorable inftance of a girl, fubjecr. to frequent returns of epileptic fits ; who, in one of them, happening to fill with her her head into the the, and fo accidentally cauterifing it, remained we!l fo long as the ulcers difcharged any thing ; but when they dried up, the for- mer fits returned.

In epilepfies arifing from violent emotions cf the mind, in which acrid, bilious, and acrimonious humours are conveyed into the nervous fyitem, the ufe of whey, mineral waters, and a proper regimen added to the fweetening powders, ufually produce a cure. Acidulated medicines are alfo highly proper, and fpirit of vitriol, orfpirltus nitri dutch, are of very fingu- lar efficacy. When an epilepfy arifes merely from pain, 2s that of the flone, the tooth-ach when violenx, or fpafms of the ftomach or inteftines, then clyfters of oil are of very great ufe i and after thefe, bleeding is ufualiy very proper. In the epilepfies of infants, arifing from gripes, corrupted milk, or difficult dentition, great benefit is to be had from clyfters of milk with a little Venice (bap diffolved in it. A k\v grains of cinnabar, given internally, often prove alfo offmgular benefit : And mufk is known to be a remedy fecond to none in thefe cafes. When Epilepfies arc caufed by worms eroding the inner coats of the inteftines, after the ufe of the common anti-epi- leptic remedies, the medicines for worms mult be given, and their ufe continued, till, by the fymptoms ceafing, there is reafbn to think thefe pernicious animals are deftroyed. When an epilepfy returns at ftated periods, or at the changes of the moon, the caufe is ufually in the ftomach or duodenum, or its adjacent parts, the biliary duits and pancreas. In this cafe therefore there fliould always be a clylter given, and af- terwards a vomit, before the expected fit. In the time of the paroxyfms of epilepfies, people ought to abftain from the ufe of fubltances that are too 'volatile, fpiri- tuous, fragrant, or fetid-; for all thefe fill the head with va- pours ; norfhould fuch things be exhibited as promote fneez- ing or vomiting, fincc they derive the humours to the head, and often recall the paroxyfms. The moft ufeful means, in the fit, are to keep the patient in an erect pofture, to rub bis hands and feet. In all kinds of epilepfies it is proper to ab- ftain from wine and malt liquors, and to drink only water. Opiates, and too volatile medicines, mult be very cautioufly given to children, and to perfons of tender habits : And when epilepfies return on the flighteft caufes, it is proper to abftain from a load of medicines, and truft to nature and a proper re- gimen alone. In this regimen the patient mull abftain from all ftrong liquors, from great heat, or exceffive cold, from venery, from feeing any terrible fight, from anxiety of mind, and from bufmefs. Young perfons are to abftain from fruit ; and all violent emotions of the mind are carefully to be avoided.

Many phyficians have prefcribed the root of the wild valerian, as a remedy which is alone capable of curing this terrible dif- eafe.

MORDEHI, an Eaft Indian name foradifeafe, to which the peo- ple of that country are fubject. It confifts in a violent diforder of the ftomach. The great heats, copious fweats, and fuper- vening cold of that country, all naturally tend to weaken the ftomach. Now if the inhabitants eat or drink immoderately at night, the concoction of their aliments can be but very un- duly performed. Hence, befide this diftemperature of the ftomach, they are fubject to others of the bowels ; and diarrhoeas are very common among them, and with difficulty cured. Hoffman, de Morb. Endem.

MORDEXYN, or Mordoxi, a name given to a difeafe very frequent among the inhabitants of Goa, which confifts in a naufea, and continued vomiting, and ufually feizes the patient fuddenly and unexpectedly, and often proves fatal.

MORDILAPIS, a name given by fome writers to loaches, a fmall fifh, often found under ftones in (hallow waters.

MORli'.f-J L /«fW, in the manege, implies the colour of a Roan horje, who befldes the mixture or blending of a grey and a bay, has a black head, and black extremities, as the main and tail. Seethe article Roan.

MORE IX A, in botany, a name ufed by fome as a common term for all the nightlhades ; others have appropriated it to the